High Resolution Biostratigraphic Analysis of Molluscan FaunaAcross the K/T Boundary on Seymour Island, Antarctica

9417776该奖项支持对最近从南极半岛西摩岛收集的化石的研究。地球的高纬度地区对全球扰动非常敏感。仔细研究地球这些地区的地质记录，可以为了解过去的全球气候事件提供重要的洞察力。对南部高纬度地区化石记录的研究清楚地表明，在白垩纪末期，但在K/T大灭绝事件之前，生物圈受到的压力增加。西摩岛出色的古生物记录为了解白垩纪末期南部高纬度地区的事件提供了新的重要见解。南极洲西摩岛出露的白垩纪/第三纪层序在几个方面都是独一无二的。它的特点似乎是中陆架至外陆架沉积物在边界上相对快速和几乎连续的沉积。与其他K/T界线剖面相比，西摩岛层序包含了从寒武纪到古新世丰富且保存完好的大型和微型动物群和植物群，为研究白垩纪末期灭绝事件之前、期间和之后海洋底栖动物的生物变化提供了无与伦比的机会。它还提供了一个机会来比较来自南部高纬度地区的动物群变化与全球晚白垩世生物危机。其目的是分析在1995年初阿根廷和美国联合实地考察期间收集的化石材料，并完成正在进行的软体动物动物群材料的分类研究，这些材料是在之前的美国赞助的探险和以前的阿根廷和美国联合探险中获得的。在刚刚过去的南半球夏天，美国和阿根廷对西摩岛进行了一次非常成功的联合探险，重约3500磅。收集了大量化石和沉积物样品，用于微化石和地球化学研究。在即将到来的一年中，我们工作的第一阶段将集中在化石材料的管理和沉积物样品的准备上，这些样品将被发送给那些表示有兴趣研究西摩岛材料的科学家。除了样品的工作外，现场观测(地质数据和化石位置)将被绘制在新的美国地质调查局地形图上。我们这一阶段的数据分析既乏味又耗时，预计需要大约12个月的时间。今年实地考察的初步结果将在1995年9月在意大利举行的南极地质和地球物理专题讨论会上提出。

9417776 This award supports research on recently collected fossils from Seymour Island in the Antarctic Peninsula. The Earth's high latitude regions are very sensitive to global perturbations. A close examination of the geologic record from these regions of the Earth can provide important insight into past global climatic events. Examination of the fossil record from the high southern latitudes clearly indicates increased stresses on the biosphere during the latest Cretaceous, but prior to the K/T mass extinction event. The excellent paleontological record on Seymour Island provides new and important insights into events in the high southern latitudes at the end of the Cretaceous. The Cretaceous/Tertiary sequence exposed on Seymour Island, Antarctica is unique in several respects. It is appears to be characterized by relatively rapid and nearly-continuous deposition of mid- to outer-shelf sediments across the boundary. In contrast to other K/T boundary sections, the Seymour Island sequence contains abundant and well-preserved macro and micro faunas and floras from the Campanian into the Paleocene and provides an unparalleled opportunity to study the biotic changes of marine benthic fauna prior, during, and following the terminal Cretaceous extinction event. It also provides an opportunity to compare the faunal changes from the high southern latitudes with the worldwide Late Cretaceous biotic crisis. The objectives of this are to analyze the fossil material collected during joint Argentine-US field work in early 1995 and to complete the ongoing taxonomic study of the molluscan fauna material obtained during previous U.S. sponsored expeditions and previous joint Argentine-U.S. expeditions. During the highly successful joint U.S./Argentine expedition to Seymour Island this past austral summer, approximately 3,500 lb. of fossils and sediment samples for microfossil and geochemical studies were collected. The initial phase of our work during the comin g year will focus on curating the fossil material and the preparation of sediment samples that will be sent to those scientists that have expressed an interest in working on the material from Seymour Island. In addition to work on the samples, field observations (geologic data and fossil localities) will be plotted on the new USGS topographic maps. This phase of our data analysis is tedious and time consuming and is projected to take approximately 12 months. Initial results from the field season this year will be presented at the Antarctic Symposium on Geology and Geophysics in September 1995 in Italy.